Getting ready for the on-line EDIT 6150 course

This page last updated on August 19, 2008 .

EDIT 6150 Introduction to Computer-Based Education
Wednesday, 4:40-7:40 pm, August 18 - December 9, 2008

Course Call #: 31-891
This course is listed in the "in-service" section of OASIS.

If you decide to register for the course, please email Lloyd Rieber to alert him of your intent. He will create a class email distribution list and will send you an email about one week prior to the first day of the course with important updated notes about getting ready for this course. Included in this email will be your course account information (Lloyd will set up a username and password for you to be activated by the first day of the course).

Notes from Lloyd on getting ready for this course (first class is on August 20)...

It is strongly recommended you come to Athens for a face-to-face meeting on the first class on August 20: We will meet at 5:15 pm in 618 Aderhold Hall. (Please note that this is a little later than the scheduled time in order to give everyone a little extra time to find parking and walk to Aderhold. UGA Parking Services recommends that students use the free lots designated as E11 and E08 on the campus parking map. Both lots are free to commuting students starting at 4 pm and are approximately a five-minute walk to Aderhold. Due to parking changes instituted during the summer, Aderhold's parking lot does not open to students until 6 pm.) I will demonstrate the technology that we will be using in the course and provide a good thorough orientation to the course. This ensures that we get off on the right foot. The second class will be a "trial run" of the technology (with everyone online), essentially repeating the information provided on the first class.

This course will be offered online. An online class is a very different learning experience from a traditional on-campus class. The flexibility inherent in an online class is balanced by the need for individuals to have a positive attitude toward learning at a distance, coupled with good personal time management skills.
This course will use both synchronous (same time, any place) and asynchronous (any time, any place) technologies. Because of our use of synchronous technologies, you must be available for each week's schedule live class (synchronous) which begins promptly at 4:40 pm. each Wednesday). This means you need to get online and set up no later than 4:25 p.m.
Skills you must already have:
1. Ability to send and receive e-mail (with attachments)
2. Able to use an Internet Browser (e.g. Internet Explorer, Foxfire, Safari)
3. Proficiency with Microsoft Word (and at least some familiarity with PowerPoint)
4. Ability to change basic system configurations and control panels (such as adjusting audio and screen size)
5. Ability to download and install software components from the Internet as needed (i.e. browser plug-ins such as for Flash)
6. Ability to troubleshoot basic computer problems (especially those common with Internet connections)
7. Ability to work independently.
  If you do not already have all of these skills, it is recommended that you wait to take the on-campus face-to-face version of this course.
Attitude you need to have and maintain : 1) positive; 2) not willing to give up at the first sign of trouble; 3) sees this course as a unique opportunity to learn about distance learning by experiencing it; 4) able to keep in check the inevitable frustrations that are bound to crop up in an innovative course like this. If you do not have this attitude or do not think you can maintain it when the "going gets a little rough", it is recommended that you take the on-campus face-to-face version of this course.
The Add/Drop period at UGA goes from August 18-25.
If you have questions about this course, please do not hesitate to contact me at UGA via email (lrieber@uga.edu) or telephone (706-542-3986).

Hardware Requirements

You must have easy access to the following:

Windows or Macintosh computer with Internet Explorer, Foxfire, or Macintosh Safari with cookies enabled with the security setting set no higher than "medium high". You must also have access to that computer whenever you need it.
Access to the Internet with at least a 56K modem, though a high-speed Internet connection (e.g. DSL or cable modem) is strongly preferred.
Computer headset with microphone and earphones (even the cheapest should work, just make sure you buy this from the computer section of a store such as Best Buy, K-Mart, etc.)
Also, you need access to a scanner and/or digital camera (i.e. some way of getting images into the computer).
Your computer must be able to view pre-recorded "Impatica" presentations: You need to view pre-recorded presentations of each of the topics covered in this course. These pre-recorded presentations have been designed and narrated by Lloyd Rieber. These presentations have been produced with a commercial tool called "Impatica", hence we will refer to them as "Impatica presentations". These presentations will work on both Windows and Macintosh computers. The main technical requirement is that you must have an Internet browser that is "java enabled". To test whether your computer is able to view these, click here to view a sample Impatica presentation that about creating online professional portfolios. If you are having problems viewing this Impatica presentation, click here for some troubleshooting suggestions.
Your computer must be compatible to use the "Horizon Wimba virtual classroom": This is one of the main technologies used in the course. It will allow us to meet as a group to discuss the various course topics and participate in other activities. To find out if your computer system is compatible with the Horizon Wimba technology run the following wizard (note: if you are missing a component, this wizard will guide you through the steps in downloading and installing the component; and almost everyone will need to install at least one component enabling two-way audio):

Click here (or anywhere on the graphic) to run the wizard.

If your system does not pass all of the tests conducted by the wizard, you should contact UGA's Student Technology Support (STS) for assistance. They provide special support to students enrolled in classes that use the Horizon Wimba classroom. Students may get assistance by e-mailing hlive@uga.edu or calling STS at 706-542-3333. (If you are unable to resolve the technical problems, you will need to wait and take the on-campus version of this course.)

Some schools have very fast data connections, but they are behind a firewall. So, be sure to run the Horizon Wimba wizard discussed above on the computer you intend to use in class far in advance of the first day of class to be sure you will be able to use it in this class.

Portable file storage. Although you will undoubtedly store all of your computer files on your personal desktop computer, almost all students will need to move their projects from one computer to another from time to time, such as those times when you are having difficulty and choose to come to Athens for individual help from the instructor. Therefore, all participants are required to buy a USB Flash mini-drive, an expensive device the size of a keychain that plugs into any computer via the USB port. There are many on the market (two good online sources are http://www.academicsuperstore.com and http://edu.warehouse.com). I recommend one with at least 2GB of storage.

Software Requirements

You will need the following software:

Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Access)
Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 or Google Sites
Web browser, such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari, that is java-enabled with Flash and Shockwave plug-ins installed.
Email Program

Some more notes about Dreamweaver vs Google Sites...

We will teach and support Dreamweaver and "Google Sites" in this class, you may use whatever tool you wish to create and maintain your web-based portfolio.

Google Sites is a free tool offered by Google for creating a web site. It is very easy to learn and use. This tool will be sufficient for participants who do not want or need to know how to create and maintain a Web site using file transfer protocol (FTP) concepts and principles. Dreamweaver is not free. It is a web editor, and a powerful one at that. It is used by professional web designers. Though easy to learn, it requires you to learn and master FTP concepts and principles. If you are going to take advanced multimedia courses in instructional technology, such as EDIT 6190, you will be expected to know a Web editor such as Dreamweaver along with the FTP concepts and principles on which it is based.

More about Dreamweaver...

A good place to get Dreamweaver CS3 at a good price is the following:
http://www.academicsuperstore.com

They have Dreamweaver CS3 for about $195. They also offer some good deals on some of the Adobe "Bundles", such as Adobe CS3 Web Standard , which comes with Dreamweaver, Flash, and Fireworks for about $389 (a good deal if you will be taking some of our department's courses in multimedia development, such as our Studio courses).

By the way, you can download a 30-day trial version of Dreamweaver CS3 from Adobe (http://www.adobe.com/go/trydreamweaver).

At the risk of confusing everyone, I like to point out that participants can learn ANY web editor of their choice. Dreamweaver is one of many choices. Of all the choices, I feel Dreamweaver is a superior product and is also relatively easy to learn. If you are already using a web editor that you are comfortable with, there is no need to learn Dreamweaver just to learn it. You will not be evaluated in your Dreamweaver skills, but in your ability to design, develop, and maintain a web site. The other important point, from an instructional point of view, is that Dreamweaver 8 is the only web editor that I will demonstrate and support, so if you are using another editor and run into trouble, you are necessarily on your own (of course, if I can help, I'll will do so). Dreamweaver CS3 is also the web development tool that we teach in our "studio courses" here at UGA (EDIT 6190, 6200, 6210)